Monoclonal Antibody Therapies For Migraine and Cluster Headache

Migraine is a headache disorder characterized by recurrent moderate to severe headaches with associated symptoms. For patients who experience more than 4 migraine days per month, preventive treatment may be recommended. Cluster headache is a disabling primary headache disorder that is characterized by attacks of intense headache on 1 side of the head, with associated agitation or restlessness, as well as by cranial autonomic symptoms. Treatment of acute headache is pain relief as well as a preventive therapy at the onset of a cluster episode to reduce the frequency of attacks. Evidence implicates calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in migraine and cluster headache. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for the CGRP receptor and molecule have been developed for migraine and cluster headache.